This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/hong-kong-police-remove-some-barricades-but-leave-main-protest-zone-untouched/2014/10/13/eb8c984c-5292-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html?wprss=rss_world

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Hong Kong police remove some barricades but leave main protest zone untouched Scuffles break out along barricades of Hong Kong protest
(about 4 hours later)
HONG KONG — Police removed barricades at the periphery of some of the pro-democracy protest sites in Hong Kong on Monday morning, in what they said was a bid to ease traffic congestion but not an attempt to end the pro-democracy sit-in. HONG KONG — Scores of men, many wearing medical face masks, moved in to forcibly remove some of the barricades surrounding the main protest site in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district on Monday, provoking scuffles and a tense stand-off with pro-democracy protesters.
The heart of the main protest zone remained untouched, but at one end the barricades had retreated around 100 yards, and protesters had moved tents back inside the main cordon. The scuffles came just after police had quietly removed some barricades on the fringes of the protest site early Monday, and had asked protesters to vacate the area peacefully. But tensions rose sharply later in the day as hundreds of people approached the main protest site as part of an organized rally demanding the roads be re-opened.
Scores of police moved in at 5:30 a.m. on Monday, and by late morning dozens still stood guard around the edges of the main protest site. “Protesters are urged to remove the road barriers as soon as possible, and leave the scenes peacefully and orderly,” police said in a statement. As they chanted slogans against the sit-in, groups of men took advantage of the chaos to rush the barricades at both ends of Queensway, a normally busy street flanked by gleaming skyscrapers.
Outnumbered so early in the morning, protesters put up no resistance to the police action, witnesses said. But they soon regrouped, using bamboo poles to rebuild the barricades on one side road, after police argued the traffic barriers being used previously were government property, witnesses said. At one end, they successfully removed many barricades, cutting through the plastic ties that had held them together with knives, and even taking away some of the students' tents in two large trucks. At the other end, they were less successful as students quickly regrouped to man the barriers, and there were scuffles as the two sides clashed.
The police action seemed more symbolic than a concerted attempt to clear the roads: Queensway, a major road adjacent to the main protest site, remains blocked even though there were only half a dozen protesters manning one section of barricades on Monday morning, with some of the barriers completely unmanned. Protesters said the police had not shown up there. “There were 40 or 50 of them, all very organized — they didn't talk to us, they just removed the barriers violently,” said 23-year-old student Chokin Wong, who was sitting down in the middle of the street. “We don't want to give back the road to violent people.”
Meanwhile, the heart of the main protest site has a more permanent feel to it with every passing day, with tents, awnings, desks and mats stretching down the normally busy Harcourt Road, as students prepare to carry through on their threat for a “long-term occupation” if the government refuses to come to the negotiating table to discuss their demands for democracy. Students and pro-democracy protesters formed human chains across one end of the street and sat down behind barricades at the other end, facing a line of police, who tried to keep the two sides apart.
“Open the roads,” chanted dozens of people unhappy with the sit-in protest, accusing the students of being tools of the West and not being “real Chinese.”
“Don’t let them pass,” the pro-democracy protesters replied, accusing their opponents of not being Hong Kong natives. “Go back to the mainland,” they chanted. “Speak Cantonese.”
The protests in Hong Kong have reflected growing tensions between natives and mainland Chinese, who have flooded into the territory since the handover from British rule in 1997.
Scores of taxi drivers drove up to the barricades to signal their opposition to the protesters, beeping their horns continuously. “We can't stand any more,” said one slogan pasted to a car, while another complained of loss of income. “You are breaking our rice bowl,” it read.
Broken plastic ties, splintered wooden barriers and broken glass littered the street where barriers had been removed.
The police action earlier Monday seemed more symbolic than a concerted attempt to clear the roads. Outnumbered so early in the morning, protesters put up no resistence to the police action, witnesses said. But they soon regrouped, using bamboo poles to rebuild the barricades.
The heart of the main protest site has a more permanent feel to it with each passing day, with tents, awnings, desks and mats stretching down normally busy roads, as students prepare to carry throughon their threat for a “long-term occupation” if the government refuses to cometo the negotiating table to disccuss their demands for democracy.
On Sunday, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, said pro-democracy protesters were making “impossible” demands and warned their movement had “spun out of control,” as the sit-in entered its third week with no sign of a solution.On Sunday, Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, said pro-democracy protesters were making “impossible” demands and warned their movement had “spun out of control,” as the sit-in entered its third week with no sign of a solution.
Student leaders argue they cannot call the protests off unless the government makes some concession and at least agrees to properly represent their views to the Chinese government in Beijing.Student leaders argue they cannot call the protests off unless the government makes some concession and at least agrees to properly represent their views to the Chinese government in Beijing.
The Hong Kong government, with China at its back, is refusing to even talk to student leaders unless they end their protests and drop their demand for genuine democracy when the chief executive’s role next comes up for election in 2017.The Hong Kong government, with China at its back, is refusing to even talk to student leaders unless they end their protests and drop their demand for genuine democracy when the chief executive’s role next comes up for election in 2017.
It appears to be playing a waiting game, hoping that support for the protests will continue to wane as frustration mounts among the general public with the accompanying disruptions to daily life.It appears to be playing a waiting game, hoping that support for the protests will continue to wane as frustration mounts among the general public with the accompanying disruptions to daily life.
Calling the protests a “mass movement that has spun out of control,” Leung said in a Sunday television interview that he was confident they could not go on for a long time.Calling the protests a “mass movement that has spun out of control,” Leung said in a Sunday television interview that he was confident they could not go on for a long time.
He said it was “impossible” to grant the students’ demand for an open election in 2017, because this would mean the Communist Party in Beijing would have to revoke its August ruling setting out in detail how these elections would be held. There was, he said, “almost zero chance” of that.He said it was “impossible” to grant the students’ demand for an open election in 2017, because this would mean the Communist Party in Beijing would have to revoke its August ruling setting out in detail how these elections would be held. There was, he said, “almost zero chance” of that.
China wants the right to vet candidates in the 2017 elections through a nominating committee stacked with its loyalists; protesters want an open field of candidates, nominated by the public.China wants the right to vet candidates in the 2017 elections through a nominating committee stacked with its loyalists; protesters want an open field of candidates, nominated by the public.
On Sunday, construction workers and taxi drivers turned up near the protest site to complain that the sit-in was damaging their livelihoods. Hundreds of people also took part in a march asking the government to end the protests and remove the barricades.On Sunday, construction workers and taxi drivers turned up near the protest site to complain that the sit-in was damaging their livelihoods. Hundreds of people also took part in a march asking the government to end the protests and remove the barricades.
Under banners saying “Love Hong Kong, Support Our Police Force” and calling protest leaders “the enemy of the people,” they chanted “enforce the law” and “clean away the protests.”
Most wore blue ribbons and headbands to differentiate themselves from the yellow-ribboned protesters; marchers were significantly older than most of the protesters and included in their numbers a few people who spoke only the Mandarin of mainland China and not the Cantonese of Hong Kong.
“Occupying public places is not true democracy,” said protest leader Leticia Lee See-yin, while 50-year-old supporter Iris Tang said Hong Kong already enjoyed many freedoms, including freedom of speech.
“We need to negotiate about how to improve our political system, but you cannot hold Hong Kong people hostage,” she said.
Conscious of the frustration their occupation is causing, some protest leaders had discussed closing one or two of the three main protest sites, or opening more roads around the fringes to minimize disruption to traffic. But there is reluctance among many of the rank-and-file to give ground unless the government makes some concession to their demands.Conscious of the frustration their occupation is causing, some protest leaders had discussed closing one or two of the three main protest sites, or opening more roads around the fringes to minimize disruption to traffic. But there is reluctance among many of the rank-and-file to give ground unless the government makes some concession to their demands.
On Saturday, student leaders issued an open letter to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, urging him to consider political reforms in the city and blaming Hong Kong’s chief executive for the demonstrations. Throughout the protest, they have been careful not to criticize the Chinese government directly.On Saturday, student leaders issued an open letter to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, urging him to consider political reforms in the city and blaming Hong Kong’s chief executive for the demonstrations. Throughout the protest, they have been careful not to criticize the Chinese government directly.
“Students walked out of classes and are occupying different places now because Leung and others have repeatedly ignored what the people want,” the letter read. “If the central government is confident, it should not be afraid to let Hong Kong people elect their own chief executive.”
There appears to be little chance of China conceding ground. In the latest of a series of critical editorials, the official People’s Daily newspaper in Beijing described the protest movement as “unrest” on Saturday — language that some observers said represented growing impatience among China’s leaders with the movement.There appears to be little chance of China conceding ground. In the latest of a series of critical editorials, the official People’s Daily newspaper in Beijing described the protest movement as “unrest” on Saturday — language that some observers said represented growing impatience among China’s leaders with the movement.
Nevertheless, Hong Kong University law professor Michael Davis said the Hong Kong government was playing a “dangerous game” if it believed it could simply wait the protests out. That might work in the short term, but it would be a “Pyrrhic victory,” he said. Daniela Deane contributed to this report from Rome.